Democratic Presidential Candidate Julia Swift delivers a strong response to the Pacific Northwest Wildfires that will win over individuals votes during the upcoming election.
By: Lucas Resnik, Hennessey Sahba, and John Treadwell
For years, the effects of climate change have been seen around the world. Rarely, however, have they been seen in such great affect in the United States, until this past week. Deadly wildfires have been rampaging across the Pacific Northwest, causing destruction and chaos wherever they go. The effects of the fires are not only literal, having caused hundreds of deaths already, but representative of what could happen if we allow climate change to continue.
James Hansen, a professor directing the Program on Climate Science at Columbia University, in response to the wildfires, said that “this is a tipping point in our fight against climate change. Never in the United States have we seen such devastating wildfires, and the response of our political leaders will dramatically affect our future.”
Speaking of our political leaders, earlier this morning, right wing candidates Sarah Smith and Maurice McDonald spoke on the wildfires. Although empathy was heavily discussed, policies and responses were not a heavy talking point.
In his speech, McDonald mentioned that, “These horrible wildfires have destroyed hundreds of homes, local communities, and businesses” but stopped short of giving any real policy, other than an increase in “funding for firefighters.”
The liberal candidates for this upcoming election, Julia Swift and Amanda Davis also spoke this morning. In stark contrast to the conservatives, Swift heavily mentioned climate change in her response.
Swift commented that “this is not a party-line issue. Climate change is climate change.” She also gave a direct response to the issue, citing that if she were president, she would “make more steps towards a green America including curbing carbon emissions.” Swift also mentioned the need for increased funding for firefighters, but in comparison to McDonald, mentioned that the funds would specifically go towards increased pay and resources.
Although empathy in scenarios such as these are important, the best candidates are those who have a planned response, such as candidate Swift. Her clear response with a forward, proactive response is exactly what is needed in a president to help our country. And although there is a long way to go until the election, it is clear that Julia Swift has put herself above the rest of the competition, and Maurice McDonald has a long way to go.
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